Clark leads No. 15 Penn State past Illini, 35-17

Oct 4, 2009 - 12:51 AM
By DAVID MERCER
Associated Press Writer

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.(AP) -- When Penn State watched the video of
Illinois' 30-0 loss last week to Ohio State, the Nittany Lions
thought they saw something that might do their maligned
offensive line some good.

Boy, were they right.

The 15th-ranked Nittany Lions battered the Illini with 338 yards
rushing on a wet, windy, 50-degree Saturday to win 35-17.

"We saw Ohio State have a lot of success last week running their
inside zone plays," Royster said. "It's just something that we
saw and we wanted to exploit it, too.

"Our offensive line," he added, "played real confident today."

Penn State coach Joe Paterno, who said earlier in the week that
a road trip might be just what his team needed after a 21-10
loss to Iowa, said Saturday's win was the first complete game
his team has played this season.

"Earlier in the year we did some things well for a half,"
Paterno said. "This is the first time I've felt we played well
the whole ballgame."

Illinois (1-3, 0-2) heard boos from its fans for the first time
in what is becoming a long season.

The sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium directed its unhappiness
at the offense, which had no answer for Penn State's second-half
show. Illinois followed two Penn State scoring drives with
three-and-outs, each ending on third-and-long plays that
Illinois tried to convert with short passes.

"A little bit of it has to do with their defense, but in order
for us to be successful and for us to win games, we are going to
have to play," Illinois coach Ron Zook said.

The Illini managed just 130 yards rushing - 58 of it by
quarterback Juice Williams, who was 20-for-36 for 263 yards and
his first touchdown pass of the season. The senior became
Illinois' career leader for total yards with 9,126, passing up
previous record holder Kurt Kittner's 8,880.

The Nittany Lions led 7-3 at halftime but used a crushing third
quarter to get the win, gaining 208 yards on a pair of drives
that left the Illini staggering.

On a quarterback draw from his 34, Darryl Clark ran 51 yards to
the Illini 15.

"They blitzed us right where we thought and, once I got past the
first level and saw all that field, I'm like, 'Wow, just get
downfield and get just as much yards as you can,"' Clark said.

Two plays later he dived to the goal line, stretching his arms
out to just nudge the football into the end zone with 6:34 left
in the third quarter. The extra point gave Penn State a 14-3
lead.

The Nittany Lions got the ball back quickly and drove 79 yards,
scoring on Clark's second TD - another 1-yarder - just after the
fourth quarter started.

Clark carried the ball seven times for 83 yards and was an
efficient 17-of-25 passing for 175 yards.

Green gave Penn State its only first-half points on a 52-yard
second-quarter touchdown. The sophomore burst through a massive
hole behind his left guard and tackle and broke a scoreless tie
in a game that had been dominated by rain and wind.

Illinois answered with a 22-yard field goal by Matt Eller with
just over seven minutes left before the half, but missed a
chance to score again.

After driving the Illini from his own 1-yard line on a series of
crisp passes - including three to Arrelious Benn - Williams was
flagged for intentional grounding.

The penalty took Illinois from a second down at the Penn State
23 to third-and-30 at the Nittany Lions' 43. The incomplete pass
to Benn and half-ending interception that followed left the
Illini behind for good.

"At halftime we had a chance to make a ballgame of it," Zook
said. "We should have gotten points in that last series of the
first half."

Penn State played without linebacker Sean Lee, who dressed for
the game for the second week without playing. Paterno said he
isn't sure when the team captain will play again after spraining
his left knee Sept. 19 against Temple.

Since the last time Penn State and Illinois met, they've gone in
different directions. That game, last September at Penn State,
pitted a pair of ranked teams - Penn State at No. 12 and
Illinois at No. 22 - and was won by the Nittany Lions, 38-24.

Illinois has since gone 3-8, hasn't been ranked and sat home
during bowl season. The Illini have started this year with three
blowout losses and a win over Illinois State, a Football
Championship Subdivision school.

Zook said his team has time to turn the season around.

"Two years ago we lost two games in the Big Ten and went to the
Rose Bowl," he said. "We have a monumental task in front of us
and it starts next week."